Improvement in water-feed devices



P. T; BBDWNELL.

Water-Feed Devices."

Patented Feb. 10,1874.

INVE NTOR. 2/6

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP T. BRO\YNELL, OF ELMIR-A, NEXT YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-FEED DEVICES.

Spceifi ration forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,365, dated February 10,1874; application filed September 12, 187.

plan of the feed device complete. Fig. 3 is an exterior view of the bucket-wheel contained within the case L of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 ,is a plan of the same.

The device is attached to the boiler at any convenient point by means of pipes uniting with B 13. The water-line (shown in Fig.1) should correspond with that which it is de; sired to maintain in the boiler.

In Fig. 1 the dotted lines show the internal arrangement of chan'ibers and parts for receiving the water, and finally delivering it to'the boiler. The parts T1 and N of the device are separated fronreach other by a partition, the

face of which is shown in Fig. 1, represented by N, and serves as a seat for the bucket' wheel M, Fig. 2). The openings in the partition at A. and (.l register, alternately, with the buckets of the buckct-wheel M, which is inclosed in the steam-drum L, as shown in Figs. 3 and l. The bucket-wheel l\[ is operated by means of ashaft, (shown in Fig. 2,)to which a pulley or gear-wheel is attached, to receive positive motion. The shalt works through a stufting-box inthe steam-drum L. The end attachin g to'the lmckct-whcel l\[ inside the drum I) is made to fit loosely, in order that the bucket-wheel. may adjust itself freely to its seat on the face of NQFig. 1. The water to be fed to the boiler passes into the pipe H from a tank, or some point elevatcd'above the feed, thence through the opening G into one of the luickets a of the revolving bucket-wheel M, and is carried around to the opening A and delivered into the chamber N, which communicates freely with the ater of the boiler, through the pipe B, and with the steam of the boiler through the pipe B. If the boiler should be filled so as to rise in the chamber N above the top of the opening A, no water will be delivered to the boiler; but if the water is at or below the water-line, then the water in the bucket is delivered without injecting force, and the bucket is, to the same extent, filled with steam at equal pressure with that of the boiler; it then passes on, to be again filled with water. It will be seen, however, that if the steam in this bucket is retained at its high pressure until it reaches the opening C from the pipe II, the steam will force the water back in the pipe H, and the filling of the bucket with water will be uncertain, and

a pounding on. the condensing of the: steam is caused. To overcome this, I make an opening, b, in the rim of the bucket-wheel for each bucket, which opening registers with the port 1) of an eXl'iaust-pipe, I), Fig. 1. This leaves in the bucket only a small portion of steam at the pressure of the atmosphere, which, when the bucket reaches the water-entrance G, is quickly condensed, and the bucket is filled with water, the amount ofsteam condensed aiding in heating the water before being carried into the boiler. The exhaust-pipe D D, relieving the bucket of its steam at high pressure before reaching the water-port U, is one of the important features of my invention.

As the bucket, which has been replenished with feed-water, is moved around upon its seat, the advanced edge begins to open at the lower part of the opening A, which is below the waterline, thus allowing the feed-water to mingle freely with the hot water in the chamber N of Fig. 1, and as soon as the advanced edge of the bucket rises above the water-line, it begins to fill with steam, leaving the water to find a common. level with that of the boiler,

and thus the surface of the water in the chamber N is left unbroken, so that in case cold water is fed no rapid condensing of steam will take place in the chamber T.

A reverse movement of the bucket-wheel for feeding the boiler should not be permitted, as it will be seen that the water-line would be changed to or below the lower part of the opening A, Fig. 1, thereby allowing the steam to condense so rapidly upon the water as it lightly to its seat Without much friction, and

' discharges at the top of the opening A as to keeps the bearings constantly lubricated.

cause in the chamber N a constant variation What I claim as my invention, and desire of the water-line, and an unreliable supply of to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' water to the boiler. The combination of the ports F F with the Steam isallowed to enter into the chamber drum L and the bucket-Wheel M, for the purof the drum L through the port I and hot wapose herein shown and described.

ter from the boiler at same pressure through PHILIP T. BROWN ELL; the port F. The pressure, therefore, within Witnesses:

the drum is slightly greater than that Within MERRITT GALLY,

the bucketwheel. This holds thebucket-wheel NATHAN K. ELLSWORTH. 

